Local Language Program FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Microsoft Local Language Program http://www.microsoft.com/LLP What is the Microsoft Local Language Program (LLP)? Technology can be a powerful tool to enable communities to sustain and revitalize local language and culture for future generations. Microsoft is committed to helping people worldwide benefit from technology while striving to uphold local language and cultural identity. Representing this commitment, the Local Language Program is a global initiative that provides people access to technology in a familiar language while respecting linguistic and cultural distinctions. Through this program, Microsoft creates collaborative communities of local governments, language authorities, universities, NGOs, and local partners that focus on providing individuals with access to computing in their mother tongue. With 4.5 billion speakers and more than 108 languages supported, the Local Language Program bridges the gap to technology through language and culture as well as empowers individuals in local communities to create economic opportunities, build IT skills, enhance education outcomes, and sustain their local language and culture for future generations. What is the focus of the Local Language Program? The Local Language Program aims to provide depth and breadth of language solutions for software and services to empower individuals in local communities to sustain languages and culture, create economic opportunity, build IT skills, enhance education outcomes, and support language diversity. The program offers communities the ability to: Gain Insight o Provide credible, research-based information and resources that support native languages o Make the wealth of digital knowledge available (internet, digital content, email) o Work in partnership with language experts to promote local culture and language Build Capacity o Bridge the digital divide by providing access to software and services in native languages o Make technology available (free solutions/downloads, limitless downloads, no distribution restrictions) o Enable indigenous speakers to connect and participate in the global community o Enrich the local experience via technology and tools to drive a healthy economy, competition, and consumer choice Foster Community o Strengthen their community by helping create opportunity o Promote software and services in native languages o Collaborate with local language communities to help sustain, revitalize and celebrate their languages and culture o Empower communities to drive their own success How does the Microsoft Local Language Program help local communities? Microsoft works with governments and communities worldwide to help provide people access to technology. The Local Language Program fosters a collaborative community of local governments, language authorities, universities, NGOs, and local partners that focus on providing individuals with access to software in their local language. The LLP program enables communities to: Access technology o Bridge the digital divide o Provide software in many languages (partnering with governments, universities, local language experts and NGOs) o Provide individuals access to desktop computer software and services in their native language Create local opportunities and local solutions o Strengthen the local IT economy, increase individual productivity, and stimulate activity in local businesses and governments o Provide technologies and tools needed to serve local communities and develop a robust local IT economy o Create the local language interface needed to foster the societal and economic benefits of the growing IT industry Sustain local languages and culture o Empower communities to discover, share, and develop IT terminology in their mother tongue o Provide collaborative communities, partnerships and services with local governments, language authorities, universities, and local partners to further embrace their local language o Respect tradition while helping languages evolve and embrace the 21st century What are the key benefits of the Local Language Program? Access to technology – especially in one’s native language – opens up new worlds for education and economic participation for millions of people. Key benefits of the Local Language Program include: Expert Insight and Credible Resources o Discover local language offerings available to local communities o Create and access digital content (internet, content, email, etc.) o Access expert insight, knowledge, and research-based information o Work with language groups to sustain and promote local culture and language Global Community and Collaboration o Bridge the digital divide and enabling indigenous speakers to connect and participate in the global community o Make technology available to help lower barriers to the digital divide (free solutions/downloads, limitless downloads, no distribution restrictions) o Enriching the local experience via technology and tools to drive a healthy economy, competition and consumer choice Local Identity and Empowerment o Strengthen communities by helping create opportunity o Provide access to/promote software and services in native languages o Sustain and extend local language and culture What makes the Local Language Program unique? The Local Language Program provides individuals access to technology in their native language to help: Discover, share, and develop IT terminology in their mother tongue Strengthen the local IT economy, increase individual productivity, and stimulate activity in local businesses and governments Foster the societal and economic benefits of the growing IT industry Provide collaborative communities, partnerships and services with local governments, language authorities, universities, and local partners to further embrace their local language Respect tradition while helping languages evolve and embrace the 21st century 2 What kind of impact has the Local Language Program had on local communities? Number of speakers worldwide: 4.5 Billion* Number of languages worldwide: 108 Number of FREE downloads: 610 (LIPs and CLIPs) Terms per IT glossary: 2,444 Translations per month (Microsoft Translator): >1 Billion Speech recognition requests per month: 50 Million *Data source: Ethnologue.com 9/30/10. Denotes the number of speakers in markets where Microsoft language offerings are available What are the Microsoft products that are promoted through the Local Language Program? Microsoft Windows Microsoft Office Microsoft Translator Microsoft Language Portal What are the Microsoft services that are promoted through the Local Language Program? Microsoft Translator Provides a powerful set of web service APIs that developers can use to take advantage of its best-of- breed Machine Translation technology in their own applications, services or web sites. Microsoft Translator Widget Bring real-time, in-place translation to your web site. Users can see your pages in their own language, without having to go to a separate translation web site, and share your page with friends in multiple languages. Bing Translator Free translation service for online automatic translation of text and web pages. Microsoft Language Portal A single point for IT professionals, language professionals and language enthusiasts to access the Microsoft terminology collection, product translations and explore other language resources. Microsoft Collaborative Glossary Public download of thousands of IT terms in TBX format for 100+ languages. Microsoft DreamSpark: Giving students Microsoft professional tools at no charge. Microsoft Translator Hub Empowering communities and businesses to own, build, and deploy custom language translation models to help them keep their languages alive and easily expand translation coverage. Where can I look to find out if the Local Language Program supports my language? For more information on the languages supported in local communities go to: http://www.microsoft.com/LLP Local Language Program Coverage Map Global map of showing commercially-available languages as well as languages supported by the Local Language Program. Language Offering List Determine what language support exists for your region. Where can I look to find more information about the Microsoft Local Language Program? For more information on the Local Language Program go to: Microsoft Local Language Program: http://www.microsoft.com/LLP Microsoft Language Portal: http://www.microsoft.com/language Microsoft Translator: http://www.microsoft.com/translator Windows and Office – Language Interface Packs What is a LIP? Language Interface Pack (LIP): Downloaded free of charge, a Windows or Office LIP enables you to install a local language version as a "skin" on top of an existing installation of the Windows operating system and/or standard Microsoft Office system applications. The LIP provides translation of the most commonly used UI, dialogs, menus and application features. Installation and use of a LIP enables use of technology in a language that is familiar and that honors native linguistic and cultural distinctions. What is in a LIP? A LIP provides translation of the most commonly used dialogs, menus, applications, and Windows help files. Because the LIP is not a fully translated product, the end user will see both the LIP language and the original operating system or application language even after the LIP is installed. Local solutions such as spelling checkers, translation dictionaries, screen savers, collaboration tools and online services